Jury selections slated for Mesa woman’s murder trial

PHOENIX — A California woman charged with killing her Arizona boyfriend
because he was going to break up with her is scheduled to stand trial starting
Monday.

KTVK-TV reported jury selection is set to begin in the
trial of Jodi Arias, 31, of Mesa. Police said she shot Travis Alexander in the
face, stabbed him 27 times and slit his throat in early June 2008.

Alexander’s roommates later found his body in his shower and immediately
suspected Arias, going so far as to give the 911 operator her name and saying
she had been “bothering” him and had even slashed his tires, police said.

Investigators said Arias, a photographer who has been described as extremely
articulate, gave them several versions of what
happened. Although she initially said she was not with Alexander when was
killed, she was linked to the scene through a bloody hand print on the floor of
the bathroom, police said.

Investigators said she later suggested two masked intruders — a man and a woman — attacked her and killed Alexander, and she didn’t call police because she was
too scared.

Authorities said a camera found in the washing machine at Alexander’s home
contained a memory card with suggestive photos of the couple, as well as
pictures of Alexander’s body in the shower.

According to Arias, she and Alexander started dating in February 2007 when she
living in Palm Desert, Calif.

While Arias’ defense team said it should not be a capital case because she did
not plan to kill Alexander, the death penalty is on the table. If convicted,
Arias could become the fourth woman on Arizona’s death row.